Ek’ Balam Through The Lens

Ek’ Balam is located in beautiful Temozón, Mexico and exhibits 45 Mayan ruin structures. The site lacks sightseers and gigantic tour busses as it is one of the less known ruin sites in the Yucatán making it an intimate experience for the visitor.

The astonishing and remarkably well-preserved sculptures uncovered at Ek’ Balam date from 100 BC to its height at 700-1,200 BC. The site is a free-for-all for those who want to explore the ruins with a hands-on approach by climbing all over the limestone blocks.

The main temple, Acropolis, is an enormous Mayan artistic marvel more than 500 feet long and 200 feet wide making it one of the largest structures ever excavated in the Yucatan.

It is at Ek’ Balam where you will discover the most stunning Mayan temple to date, El Trono (The Throne), where the Mayan ruler Ukit Kan Le’k Tok’ is supposedly buried.

The temples sculpted work of the Mayans looks untouched and impeccable. Several of the smooth stone figures are winged, one sits in a meditative ¨lotus¨ position and another appears headless above the center of the mouth entrance. The Mayans who crafted the figures were incredibly skillful as their work continues to be admired thousands of years later.

At the top of Acropolis one can see for miles and on clear days even the neighboring ruin, Cobá, which is 30 miles away. Also at the summit, roads called sacbe’s (ancient road) stretch out in every direction connecting Ek’ Balam to many other Mayan cities including Chichen Itza as trade routes.

Although there is not much information available to the general public about Ek’ Balam, archaeologists working at the site continue to unlock ancient Mayan history through their findings.

Pointing to the Oval Palace from the top of El Trono. (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Detailed Carving on El Trono (Photo/Kendra Yost)

The Twins (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Tony and Hayes walk down Acropolis.

El Trono Carving (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Mayan Cotton Seed (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Mayan astrological carvings (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Oval Palace stairs (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Pointing to Acropolis (Photo/Alex Rhinehart)

Mayan Cotton Tree (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Mayan Carving (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Mayan Carving (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Mayan Astrological Carvings (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Interior of the Entrance Arch (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Winged Maya Warriors (Photo/Kendra Yost)

The Entrance Arch from the doorway of the Twins Tower. (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Acropolis (Kendra Yost)

Winged Maya Warrior (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Alex on top of El Trono (Kendra Yost)

The Entrance Arch stands at the entrance of Ek’ Balam on four legs, constructed over the road that leads into the city, and was probably ceremonial in purpose. (Photo/Kendra Yost)

El Trono doorway in the shape of a monster-like mouth, most likely depicting a jaguar. (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Acropolis (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Ancient Mayan Carvings (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Ek Balam structure (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Winged Maya Warrior (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Mayan Carving (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Two boys play in the Entrance Arch. (Photo/Kendra Yost)

The Oval Palace contained burial relics and its alignment is assumed to be connected to cosmological ceremonies. (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Acropolis (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Leaning against the Entrance Arch (Photo/Rich Rhinehart)

Children Play on the Twin Structure. (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Rick and Hayes peek out of a doorway. (Photo/Kendra Yost)

Acropolis Stairway (Photo/Kendra Yost)

This is the temple in which Ukit Kan Le’k Tok’ is supposedly buried, called El Trono (‘The Throne’). The doorway is in the shape of a monster-like mouth, probably depicting a jaguar.(Photo/Kendra Yost)

This is the temple in which Ukit Kan Le’k Tok’ is supposedly buried, called El Trono (‘The Throne’). The doorway is in the shape of a monster-like mouth, probably depicting a jaguar. (Photo/Kendra Yost)